LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – StoneRidge Health and Rehab Center, LLC, a long-term care facility located outside of Little Rock, will pay $22,000 to settle a lawsuit for retaliation brought by U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.

The EEOC’s suit, Civil Action No. 4:10-cv-1414 JMM, charged that StoneRidge violated federal anti-discrimination law when it fired a housekeeping supervisor because she had complained about racial harassment and racial discrimination. She was fired within days of her complaint.

Retaliation for complaining about discrimination violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The EEOC filed suit after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.

“The number of retaliation lawsuits has risen across the country and within the Memphis District,” said Regional Attorney Faye A. Williams of the EEOC’s Memphis District Office, which has jurisdiction over Arkansas, Tennessee, and portions of Mississippi. “People have a right to complain about discrimination in the workplace, and the EEOC is committed to aggressively combating retaliation for it.”

The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the EEOC is available on its web site at www.eeoc.gov.